The Day Being a Referee Paid Off
by Luna Silvereyes
Summary: Lillian Jackson is your typical teen who struggles to keep food in the house. When she arrives home to hear a strange argument going on in her basement, she finds that her life is about to take a drastic turn for the worst. Reinstated-sudden inspiration!
1. A Strange Surprise

The Day Being A Referee Paid Off 

By Luna Silvereyes

Author's note: I do not own any of the Avatar Characters used in my story. I only own Lily, Katie, Kathleen, Nancy, Les, Father Dennis, Patrick, and whomever else you don't recognize from the show.

Chapter1: A Strange Surprise

Lily returned to her house with a heavy heart, eyelids and feet. Her eyes were sore, she was out of breath from blowing the whistle constantly and she felt as though she were about to collapse at any moment as she pulled into her street from her job as a referee down at the high school. Being a referee wasn't as bad as taking orders down at the local Burger King. That was humiliating enough, being jeered at by the lucky rich kids who came to the place every night with their girl and boy friends. A lousy minimum wage of two-fifty an hour was barely enough to live poorly on. Candy bars, popcorn and macaroni was about all she could afford outside of necessities, such as toothpaste, toiletries, clothes at the donation center and taxes, lots and lots of taxes.

She screeched to a halt as a cat darted across the road. She sat gripping the steering wheel and panting with frustration. She was at her last nerve and wanted nothing more than to turn on her favorite Friday night program and watch what she lived for, for an hour or so before her mother returned home. Avatar-The Last Airbender, her favorite show. She loved coming home on Fridays, switching it on and following the adventures of Aang, Sokka, Katara, Momo, their newest member, Toph, Prince Zuko and Iroh. Zuko was her favorite character because they both had had traumatic experiences in their lives over the past few years. For her, it had been the death of her father. For Zuko, it had been the Agni-Kai and the scar. That plus the banishment made things so much worse and she marveled at his ability to adapt to whatever came his way.

She sighed happily as she anticipated the show. Tonight would be a re-run because of some delays at the studio she'd read about online. She'd make due as well as some popcorn as a rare treat anyway. She pulled the car into the driveway and shut the engine off, leaning back against the torn upholstery and closing her eyes for a brief second. She couldn't wait to be audience for an hour unlike her job as a referee. There, the volleyball players called her names, made fun of how she dressed, and hated her judging. The people on the Avatar show didn't shun her appearance. She felt as though they were her friends.

She opened her eyes, opened the door and patted 'Old Charlie' on the hood. That's what she called the old bug. She'd gotten him for peanuts and now she was paying the price. She thought she was getting a great deal when she forked over five hundred for it. It was some deal all right. The seller got five hundred clams and she got a tin can on wheels. He was a sad sight. His paint was chipping, the transitions about shot, the door rusting off its frame and the wheels held together with scotch tape.

" What I wouldn't trade you for." She muttered, staring at the hood as it smoked from sudden engine implosion. It wasn't enough he needed an oil change every few weeks, he'd actually stalled on interstate 90 once when she was going to visit her pen-pal out of state.

She turned her back on the pathetic old junk heap and headed for the front door.

" Hey girlie! I hear the funnies are looking for a raggedy old girl to play the main role! Interested?" a voice yelled from the road. Lily turned her head and saw a red pickup truck sitting in the road with two teenage boys sitting in the cab. One of them was snickering in her direction.

" Get a life, mama's boy!" Lily yelled back. The boy in the truck flipped her off and drove away. Lily muttered something under her breath and fitted the key into the lock in the door so she could get in before they decided to turn around. She stepped inside, shut the door and fumbled around on the wall for the light switch.

The light flicked on and Lily sighed in relief to be home at last. She fumbled through her pocket and pulled out her shiny silver whistle. As much as she hated her job, she liked her whistle. It had cost her five dollars and to her, was worth just as much. She stuck it into her jeans pocket and took of her coat, hanging it on the back of a chair by the table. Her stomach began to rumble and she decided to start making the popcorn now before calling to check in with Kathleen. She padded toward the kitchen and flicked on the light switch.

Instantly, she froze. A strange and unsettling noise was echoing up from the basement. It sounded like voices and she quieted to hear properly.

_" I think someone's in the house!" _

_" Quiet Uncle, you'll give us away!" _

_" I can't see a thing. Where's my water pouch?" _

_" Will you all just shut up?" _

Lily felt her heartbeat quicken and she reached into a nearby drawer for a knife. The one she picked was long and sharp, used for slicing hard vegetables and whatnot. She held it tightly in front of her and began to descend the stairs to the basement. Beyond the stairs, she could see the back door leading to the yard. She hoped no one was out there. Being alone with someone prowling around your house is one of the scariest things imaginable, at least if you were a girl. Most prowlers tended to think that girls were easier targets and less likely to fight back. That kind of talk made her blood boil.

Lily reached the bottom step, brandishing the knife before her into the impending darkness, expecting something horrifying to suddenly leap out and start slashing through her neck. Nothing emerged however and she stepped onto the threshold of the basement and studied the dark room. She couldn't see anything yet. She hoped that when she turned on the basement light, as she was about to do, that she'd imagined it all out of hunger and that nothing was wrong. The light flicked on.

At first, Lily thought she was sleepwalking. But when she went to pinch herself and scratched herself with the knife instead, she knew she was fully awake. Her pupils were dilating; she could feel it. She wanted to believe, but she didn't, wanted to not to see, but she did.

The Avatar characters were all sitting in her basement, staring wide-eyed at her. She knew every one.

" Good Lord!" she exclaimed, lowering the knife. " I know you!" she yelled, pointing to the group.

" You know us?" the boy with the arrow tattoo on his head piped up.

" How could you know us?" a little girl with black, stringy hair and misty eyes remarked, her arms folded and her feet up against the wall as she lay staring at Lily, though not really seeing her. Lily dropped the knife to the floor and moved forward into a chair, facing them.

" I know you." She repeated, coming out of the temporary trance she'd been in. She was regaining her senses now and beginning to realize that this wasn't a reality show with hidden cameras. There was no one on earth who fit the archetypes of the Avatar cast so perfectly. They all continued to stare at her.

" I really do know you." She said with more sincerity in her voice. Across the room, a man with a topknot in his hair and fire nation armor scowled at her. " How do you know us?" he growled. " Prove it."

Lily narrowed her eyes to mere slits. " Fine." She murmured. She got to her feet and looked at everyone in turn. She could simply name off the names, but that was boring. The characters were as follows: Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph, Momo, Zhao, Iroh, Suki and Zuko. But she wanted to make this interesting. She took a deep breath and pointed to Zhao.

" You." She said. " You are Admiral Zhao, supposedly dead at the North Pole after having been dragged beneath the sea by the ocean spirit." She pointed to each and every character with a brief description: " You are General Iroh, retired and sometimes known as 'The Dragon of The West'. You are fond of Ginseng Tea and Pai-chow. Your favorite gambit is the lotus tile.

" You are Toph, blind daughter of a wealthy earth kingdom dweller and commonly known as 'The Blind Bandit', expert at Earthbending and currently training the avatar.

" You are Katara, expert waterbender and trainer of the avatar as well. You wear your dead mother's necklace as a reminder of her.

" You are Sokka, brother to Katara and companion to the avatar. You are a warrior who hates firebenders.

" You are Suki of Kyoshi Island. You are a warrior and very proud of your ability to skillfully defeat any boy in combat and you began your warrior training at the age of eight.

" You are Aang, the avatar and the last Airbender. You are currently mastering waterbending and working on earth. You own the only remaining known winged lemur, Momo and the last Sky-bison, Appa.

" Finally, you are Zuko, exiled prince of the fire nation for doing what you believed was right and just."

Lily concluded with a prompt nod and folded her arms. Everyone present stared at her, bewildered.

" How did you know all that?" Sokka exclaimed.

" How did you know I started my training at eight?" Suki demanded.

" How did you know I wear my mother's necklace as a reminder of her?" Katara yelled. Lily simply smiled. " Dear, dear people. I am a friend. I welcome you, with the exception of one simple question…WHAT ARE YOU ALL DOING IN MY BASEMENT!"

" We're sorry to intrude, but we don't know either." Aang said amiably, stroking a contented Momo. Lily sighed and rubbed her head with her hand. " So you don't know what you're all doing here and I'm now stuck with eight new people to take care of? Oh boy." She collapsed back into the chair. " Please tell me I'm dreaming. I can't afford to care for all of you." She moaned. Katara moved closer to the chair. " We can leave if we have to. We don't want to be any trouble. The fire nation can't find the avatar." She said.

" Since when do we take orders from Water tribe peasants?" Zuko snapped.

" For once I agree with him!" Zhao yelled.

" Was I giving orders? Or are you firebenders dumber than I thought?" Katara retorted angrily.

" I'll vouch for that!" Sokka cried, whipping out his boomerang. Aang attempted to calm the situation, but in the end, he wound up arguing as well. Only Iroh seemed to be in control of his actions as he sat, looking like he was about to doze off. Lily groaned and pulled her whistle out of her pocket. She met eye contact with General Iroh and held up the whistle, miming to blow it and that he should cover his ears. He got the message and immediately did so. Lily inhaled deeply and blew. The shrill blast that erupted from the whistle bounced from wall to wall and made every single person in the room cover their ears and retreat from the battle. Lily got to her feet, familiar instinct taking over and confidence returning.

" FOUL!" she shrieked at everyone. " MOVE TO A NEUTRAL ZONE, ON THE DOUBLE!!"

" What are you talking about?" Zhao demanded.

" Now listen here, Admiral Zhao, This is _my _house, _my _basement and for all we know, _my _world! Not your world! So long as you're under this roof, you follow _my _rules! I don't want to be a bully here; I want to try to help you all as best I can. And in order for me to do that, you'll all have to work with me to keep peace between one another. Do I make myself clear, or does my whistle have anything else to say?" she said threateningly. Zhao glared at the little silver trinket that had subdued him and grumbled to himself. She looked at everyone in turn and, one by one, they all backed away from her. Lily instantly felt drained again and she sank back down onto the chair, determined to stay there this time. She sighed.

" Why don't you all have a seat?" she suggested. They obeyed. Zhao sat down on the end of the sofa, several feet from Iroh. Zuko took a seat on the floor about three feet from the chair she was seated in. Katara and Aang sat down by the television. Sokka and Suki sat down beside the wall and Toph stayed where she was. Momo glided up and hung from the ceiling lamp.

" Comfy everyone?" Lily said. They all nodded simultaneously.

" Good. To start, my name is Lillian Lorraine Jackson, Lily for short. I will explain the basic ground rules. One: no bending."

At that, everyone began to complain. " No bending? That's ridiculous!" Toph yelled, flipping right side up. " I'm supposed to be teaching the avatar to earth bend. How can I do that if I can't teach him anything?"

" I need to waterbend! I'm teaching Aang too!" Katara complained. Everyone started to yell out their various complaints. Lily held up her hand and her whistle. " Quiet! Everybody quiet!" she ordered. When they refused to let up, she raised the whistle to her mouth and took a breath. That quieted them down enough for her to regain control. " Now listen. I will find a spot for you to bend, all of you. But for now, and until further notice, no bending! Period!"

Toph made a face. Lily nodded. " Now, rule number two: No chasing after the avatar, or, in Zhao's case, both the avatar and the banished prince Zuko in order to turn one or the other into the fire lord to gain a new rank of military expertise. Got it?" she said, glancing meaningfully in Zhao's direction. He grumbled and looked away.

" Three: Try to get along. In my world, you all are nothing but a cartoon show. If you should get outside and stopped by a police cop, you'll be arrested for weird dressing. Like I said, I don't want to be a bully, I just want to try to help you all. Now, onto the matter of sleeping arrangements. Does anyone have a preference?"

" We could just use some sleeping bags." Katara said.

" Who's we? I'll take the floor." Aang piped up.

" Okay." Lily muttered. " Anyone else?"

No one even so much as looked in her direction. She shook her head.

" Fine. I have an idea. Sokka, Aang and Zuko, you all can bunk in my sister's old room. Suki, Toph and Katara, you can stay in my room. Zhao, you can stay out here. Iroh, could you please keep an eye on him? I don't trust him with what little we still have."

" Sure thing." He said with an amused chuckle. Zhao stood up, hands beginning to glow. " I resent that." He growled. Lily glared at him, using a little trick her ex-best friend taught her; to look your enemies in the eye with no trace of any emotion except anger and pure malice. It worked every time. Zhao's eye twitched and he backed down.

" I won't tolerate any crud from you, Zhao." Lily declared. " So help me, if you even so much as threaten the others, or me, you will be sorry. Do I make myself clear? Good. Now, will everyone but Iroh and Zhao, please follow me?"

She led them up the stairs to the ground level. She tried to settle her beating heart, anticipating the test of her abilities as a referee.

A/N: I know I need to get back to writing The First Legacy. I won't shirk away from my regular schedule, but this story has been sitting in my back-up junk for months. I really want to do something with it and I might as well. I've actually only written one other Avatar story because InuYasha is so much easier for me for some reason. That's why I do much better with The First Legacy.


	2. Honor

A/N: Unlike The First Legacy, this one will be updated whenever possible because the inspiration isn't as good as it is with my other story. That means I'll get chapters when whenever I possibly can.

Chapter 2: Honor

" This is my sister's old room. She won't be using it, so she won't mind a few boys occupying it for a couple of days." Lily said, opening the pink flowered door at the end of the hall. They stepped inside.

" Interesting." Zuko commented. The room was painted bright pink and littered with Barbie dolls, most of them, thank goodness, dressed. Lily hurried forward and kicked the undressed ones beneath the bed, which was also pink and laced with, well lace. My Little Pony posters covered the walls and Lily stared at them with disgust. She hated My Little Pony. She looked back at Sokka, Aang and Zuko and shrugged. " Sorry about the frilliness, my sister was only five when she occupied the room. " she said apologetically.

" Where is your sister?" Katara asked, coming up behind them. Lily averted her eyes to the floor.

" Sorry." Katara said. " I didn't mean to offend you."

" You didn't. To answer your question, Katie was taken away by welfare to help mom and me out. She's been gone for several months. I don't think she'll want these dumb Barbie dolls anymore so I'll just throw them under the bed." She proceeded to do so by gathering them up as fast as she could, noticing a couple she'd missed earlier who were bare of clothing.

" Wait Lily, let me do it." Aang said. He gently pushed her away, opened his mouth and blew the Barbie dolls under the bed with a mighty blast of wind that sent Lily flying. She got up, bracing against the wall and panting. " T-Thanks, Aang." She muttered. He let out a big grin. " I aim to please!" and marched back to the door to accidentally stand beside Zuko thinking he was Sokka, let out a yelp and scurry around to where Sokka stood when Zuko glared at him. Lily resisted the urge to laugh.

" Okay boys, you'll be staying here. There's a lot of spare blankets and stuff in the top shelves of my sister's closet. I have to get the girls situated and I'll be back shortly to see how you're all doing." She shuffled back through the crowded doorway to her own room. She pushed through the blanket and stepped inside. The blanket served as a door ever since her door had fallen in the month before. The wood had been crammed with termites.

" This is my room." Lily said when the three girls entered. Katara wandered over to the meager bookshelf and lifted a Harry Potter book off the shelf and opened it. Suki took a peek out the blinds. She shut them immediately. " Lily, there's a weird old man watching your house from the one next door." She said. Lily sighed. " That's old man Jenkins. He thinks I'm a witch and constantly keeps vigil on the house. He'll stop when he's sure I'm dead or moved away."

" Is he a threat?" Toph asked, plopping down on the bed.

" No, just a pest." Lily said as she opened her closet and took down two big sleeping bags and some spare pillows. She tossed these to Suki who in turn dropped them in different places on the rug. " He has a thing against me for some reason."

Katara was leafing through the book she'd pulled off the shelf. " Lily, why is your room so bare?" she asked.

" We're not in the position to buy all sorts of fancy things, Katara." Lily said dejectedly.

" L-Lily?" a small voice whimpered from the doorway. Lily turned to see a very upset young avatar standing there. " Aang, what's wrong?' she asked. He glanced behind him. " We've got a little problem in here." He said. He retreated out of the curtain and disappeared. Lily stole a glance at Katara and Suki and ran after him. She found Aang standing in Katie's room's doorway. She gasped. Sokka had his boomerang out and Zuko had procured a couple of flaming daggers.

Lily pulled out the whistle and glanced at Suki, Katara, Toph and Aang. They all got the message and, after Katara whispered to Toph what Lily was going to do, covered their ears tightly. Lily took as deep a breath as she could and—

Downstairs, Zhao, who was arguing with Iroh over the subject of staying put, jumped and yelled as the vibrations of the blast from the whistle vibrated through the entire house.

Sokka leaned heavily against the wall, his eyes crossed and the boomerang hanging limply from his hand. Zuko was on the floor, knocked senseless from the whistle. The daggers had vanished and he was rubbing his head, dizzy from the blast. He shook his head and stared up at Lily. " What the heck was that for?" he demanded. Lily pocketed the whistle and looked over at Sokka. He was shakily getting to his feet with Katara's help. She returned her gaze to Zuko, who was also standing up. One of his daggers had returned and he was pointing it menacingly at Lily. Her nostrils flared and she turned to the others. " Go downstairs, all of you. I'll be down in a minute. Sokka, you all right?" she asked as he passed. He nodded. " Yeah, Gran-Gran, I'm fine." He babbled. Lily rolled her eyes. " He's fine. Okay, I'll be down in a sec. I have to do something first."

They all started back down to the basement. Lily turned to face her lone guest, Zuko. He was standing straight and staring at her. She stared right back at him; ready for anything he might pull.

He grumbled under his breath and started to move toward the door. She blocked his way. He tried to push past her, but she pushed him right back. " Let me out!" he demanded. Lily simply reached behind her and pulled the door shut, bracing herself against it with her cleats, which she was glad she was still wearing. Zuko attempted to shove her aside. She slapped his hand away. " Move!" he yelled.

" No." she said. He stood still for a second, and then suddenly, his hand lashed out and gripped the doorknob. Lily, expecting this, threw herself against the frame, trying to keep him in. But she quickly realized that he was much too strong for her, so she resorted to plan B. She pulled her leg back and kicked him hard on the shin. He let out a low cry and toppled to the ground. Lily sighed and silently thanked Nancy for teaching her that a swift kick to the shin brought anyone down in an instant with a paralyzing, agonizing pain that lasted for several minutes. She knelt down to his level. He was rubbing his shin angrily and scrunching up his face in pain. She sat down in front of the door. His eyes met hers and for a moment, she found herself in his position, a desperate need to feel loved and appreciated by those closest eating away at her. As quickly as it arrived, it vanished when he looked away. She sighed. " Zuko, I'm sorry I did that. But I need to talk with you. It was the only way to get you to stay still for a few moments." She said. He said nothing. She continued: " I now know how you feel. You want to be appreciated, and not thought to be a weakling."

" How would you know?" he snapped.

" Because…I know who you are."

" What's that supposed to mean?"

" Prince Zuko, the young prince at fourteen who wanted to attend a war meeting for the first time to learn about his future nation. He heard the general's plan to sacrifice the 41st division and stood up to defend them, despite his uncle's warning not to. He was forced into a duel with who he thought was the general, but turned out instead to be his own father. He refused to fight like the loyal son he was, but suffered insult and the pain of a flame-shaped scar he would be inclined to bear for the rest of his life." She said gently. Zuko's face softened for a second, then hardened again and he looked away. Lily took a chance to keep going. " The real Zuko is hidden away in you somewhere and he comes out whenever you come across a chance to spare a life, or extinguish it. You choose the former, believing that unnecessary killing isn't right. That's an honorable trait, Zuko." Lily whispered. Zuko said nothing. Lily let out an exasperated breath. " Zuko, most people would give up on you right about now, but not me. You have it better than I do."

" How? Are you banished from your home with the thoughts that your father thinks you're worthless? Do you have a scar that lets everyone know you're a disrespecting freak?"

Lily looked away as tears began to fill her eyes. This took Zuko by surprise. He didn't like the girl, but he certainly didn't want to make her cry. She sniffed once and brought her knees up, hugging them and staring into space. " Zuko, you're half right. I am not banished from my home, but I am banished from my life. My father never thought I was worthless, even up to the last day. But I do have a scar, but not one visible and not one that lets everyone know what happened to me. Rather than let me down, it tells me to be strong and remember my own honor. That's what you should let yours do."

" What honor? I have none."

" You're fooling yourself. Zuko, when you stood up to defend a group of loyal and willing soldiers, you gained more honor in that one moment, and the same goes for refusing to fight your own father, than most people gain in a lifetime. Honor isn't something that can be taken away from you. It's part of who you are, and who you are, is someone who keeps trying, even though it's hard."

Those words hit Zuko like a dead weight. His mother had used those same words almost ten years ago on the last day he'd ever seen her. He'd calmed considerably and almost forgotten the pain in his ankle.

" Zuko, I know all about what happened to you and when I saw your Agni-Kai against your father, and when I saw what happened, I was literally sobbing. It was so sad. I felt so bad for you, and now that you're here, in my house, I can tell you that thousands, maybe even millions of other kids my age will tell you the same thing should they ever get the chance. You arrived in this world for a reason and I'm sure that this might be it."

" You really believe I still have my honor?" he said, hardly daring to believe her words. She smiled and nodded. " Of course. Not many firebenders agree to spare a village in exchange for the avatar. Others would simply destroy the village for the heck of it, whether they got the avatar or not." She said with a chuckle. Zuko felt a smile playing at his mouth and he fought to resist it.

Lily got to her feet and put her hand on the knob. " You can go now." She said. Zuko shifted his weight to his other leg and tried to stand, wincing from his ankle. Lily noticed this and offered her hand. Although he was warming up to her a little, he took it reluctantly.

" I'm sorry about that." She said, helping him up and opening the door. " Come on, I'll get you a cold rag for it. I don't have any ice." She led him to the bathroom and he sat down on the floor beside the tub. She removed a dishrag from the drawer below the sink and filled the sink with cold water, dipping the rag into it. While that soaked, she fetched one of her shirts out of the hamper and put that into the sink too. Zuko watched.

" Why'd you do that?" he asked.

" I have to re-wash all of my clothes. I sold most of what I owned at a garage sale a few months ago to help pay for food." She said, shutting the door so one of the others wouldn't walk by and see that a girl had beaten Zuko, particularly Zhao. She fished the rag out of the sink and rang it out. She tossed it to Zuko who placed it against his throbbing ankle. He'd removed the protective boot and set it beside him. He hissed as the cold rag touched his skin. Lily figured it was because his internal fires kept him relatively warm round the clock and the sudden change of temperature was unexpected.

Lily turned from the soaking shirt and took a seat about a foot away. They didn't speak for a while as Zuko tended to his ankle. Finally, he looked up. " Lily, where are your parents?"

" Mom's at work. She works late as an accountant." Lily muttered, her voice slightly muffled by her arm as she leaned on it on her folded knees.

" And your father?"

Lily looked up at him. " He's gone." She murmured.

" Huh? You mean he left?"

" No, I mean he's dead. I don't want to talk about it." She said, leaning her head down into her arms. Zuko stared at her. He wanted to say he was sorry, but he wasn't sure if that would be the right thing to say. He'd never lost anyone besides his cousin, Lu-Ten. And he had barely even known him before he left to fight in the war. He looked back at Lily, but her head was still bowed and she didn't notice.

A/N: Okay. At least once a day. As I said before for people who know me, I am not going to stop updating the other story. In fact, I don't usually work on two published stories at once. In about two more days, I'll update the other one. For now, there's this one if you like Avatar-The Last Airbender.


	3. A New Understanding

A/N: IMPORTANT INFORMATION AT THE BOTTOM, PLEASE READ.

Chapter 3: A New Understanding

" Katara, I can help you." Lily said as she leaned on the kitchen counter, watching bemusedly as Katara struggled to bend water out of the faucet. Her hand was shaking and her face turning blue.

" No!" she yelled. " I can do this."

By now, she was holding her breath in frustration. Lily shook her head, reached her hand out and quietly twisted the handle of the sink so that the water gushed over Katara's hands. She let out her held breath and laughed. " Hah! I did it! See?" she cried, showing Lily the water floating in the air above her hands. Lily feigned surprise. " By gosh and by golly, Katara, you sure did." She said as Katara filled a glass with the water and hurried down to the basement. Lily shut off the faucet and reached into a cupboard above her head, taking down a box of macaroni and cheese. She wrinkled her brow and took down another, the last one. She shut the cupboard, fished through the cabinets below the sink and pulled out a pot. She filled it with water and set it to boil on the stove.

" What are you doing?" a voice to her left demanded. Zhao.

" I'm golfing, what does it look like?" Lily said sarcastically.

" What's golfing?" Zhao asked. Lily made a face.

" Look, why don't you make yourself useful and fetch me the sieve? It's in the cabinet beneath the sink and it's blue." She said. He looked to the side and started to move around the kitchen in search of the cabinet. He stopped. " What's a sink?"

" That silver thing right there, to my left. It's blue and it's in the cabinet below it next to the window cleaner." She said, pointing with one hand and stirring with the other. Zhao knelt down by the cabinet and pulled the sieve out. He handed it to her and she set it aside.

" What are you making?"

" Macaroni and cheese. It's all I have and all I can afford so don't even think of complaining." She said, waving the spoon in his face.

" Stop worrying, I'm always up to trying new things."

" Good, I'm glad to hear that." She muttered. She picked up the pot and the sieve and carried them to the sink. She dumped the steaming noodles into the sieve and poured water over them, letting them cool down a bit before shutting it off and then letting the water drain from them before pouring them back into their original pot. She left them for a second to go to the fridge and take out the milk, realizing how little they had left.

" Zhao, could you help me a little? Here, take this milk and let a little bit pour into the pot at a time while I stir in both the milk and the cheese." She instructed, handing him the carton. He took it, though hesitantly, not used to being ordered around. He did as he was told while she ripped open packets of yellow powder and dumped that in as well. At a nod, he began to let a little milk at a time pour in while she stirred them around. Finally, she waved her hand at him, signaling for him to move away from the stove while she continued to stir.

" Perfect. Nice and creamy. Thanks Admiral Zhao, you're a big help." She turned off the stove and went to another cabinet above the counter, ignoring Zhao as he glanced from both her to the pot and then back again. Lily took down nine bowls and carried them three at a time to the stove.

" Zhao, could you do me one more favor?" she asked.

" Oh sure, why not?" he said more sarcastically than anything.

" Could you please tell everyone downstairs that supper's ready? I have to go check on Zuko." She said as she scooped spoonfuls of macaroni into the bowls. She tossed the pot into the sink with a clatter.

" What happened to Zuko?" Zhao called out with less than sympathy.

" He had a slight mishap with—er—my sister's mirror. I have to make sure he's okay." She rushed out of the room before Zhao could ask further. She found the bathroom door shut so she knocked.

" It's open." His muffled voice answered. She twisted the knob and stepped in. She found him standing with one hand attached to the towel rack. He was testing his weight on his ankle and looked up as she approached.

" Hi." He said. Lily was thrown off guard by his calm demeanor.

" Hi." She said shakily. He stood up fully and let go of the rack. Lily coughed. " I'm sorry about that. Are you okay now?" she said, one arm gripping the other, embarrassed. Zuko smiled, which also surprised her.

" I'm fine, Lily. You've apologized three times now." He said. Lily nodded. " Um, supper's ready in there. It's macaroni and cheese. Come and get some if you want anything." She said, turning and leaving the bathroom. Zuko stared after her and shook his head, still smiling.

Lily returned to the kitchen to find everyone claiming their bowls. As she had expected, they were all a little precautious about trying the new food. Only Zhao tried it first, saying nothing, but nodding approval.

Reluctantly, the others all took first tastes. One by one, each broke out into a smile and finished it off. Lily took up a bowl with very little macaroni in it and started to eat it, knowing how very little was in it. But she said nothing, enjoying that everyone else liked it.

As they finished up and set the bowls into the sink before retreating back into the basement, Lily pondered all of this. What if all of this was just some crazy, wonderful dream? She hated the thought of waking up and finding everything, as it should be in this world, empty of all things exciting and wondrous.

Zuko was the last to finish and with a grateful smile back in Lily's direction (which was surprising) followed his uncle and the others back to the basement while Lily set the dishes up for washing. There were only eight bowls, but she wished there were more. She usually let the dishes go for as long as they could until the next washing so she would have plenty to think about while she rinsed all of them. She filled the sink with soapy water and set the bowls in, one by one to let them soak. While they soaked, she descended the stairs and let her eyes wander from person to person. She was reminded suddenly of the family nights she and her sister and parents shared every Friday when Les was off duty until around midnight. A lump caught in her throat as she recalled her father, but she forced it down again.

Katara and Aang were building a house of cards in the corner. Sokka and Suki were discussing different battle strategies. Zhao was leafing through a book on wolves he'd found, as they had been Les's favorite animals. Toph was lying almost vertically against the wall with her eyes closed. Momo was hanging upside down from the light fixture. Zuko was leaning against the window, staring outside into the night. Iroh was poking through a family album of happier times in the Jackson household.

" Lily," Iroh called to her. She walked around everyone to where he sat. He was pointing at a photo in the album of dark-haired, handsome Les Jackson and Lily and Katie all floating happily down the river ride at Wild Waves and Enchanted Village in Washington State. Kathleen, her mother had snapped the shot since she hated getting wet except in the shower.

" Who is this with you, Lily?" Iroh asked, pointing to Katie.

" My little sister, Katie. Her full name is Katrina Marie Jackson, but we call her Katie. Or we did, anyway. That's at a water park in another state."

" I see. She's a cute little thing. When was that?"

" Just about five or six months before my dad died. If you don't mind, I have to go do the dishes before Mom gets home and I'll have to explain everything to her."

" Okay." He said with a smile. Lily couldn't help but smile weakly back. She went back up the stairs and into the kitchen where the cheese clinging to the bowls was beginning to peel off into the water. She picked up a rag and a bowl from the water and started scrubbing absently. She let her hands do the work as she gazed quietly out the window. To her surprise, it was snowing gently outside. She hoped it wouldn't fall too hard otherwise Kathleen wouldn't come home that night and would be stuck at the bank. Lily sighed and returned her eyes down to the dishes, now smothered in bubbled from too much soap.

" Lily?" Iroh's voice floated up from the stairs. " Are you all right?"

" I'm fine." She said unconvincingly. Iroh hummed and stroked his beard. " Fine, hmm? Well, if you are fine, then why are you staring absently into space the way my nephew does when meditating after a particularly hard day?"

Lily forced out a smile that didn't seem to fit the situation. " See?" she muttered, setting the newly washed bowls on the rack to dry. Iroh chuckled. " Lily, you can talk to me. I understand what you're going through." He said.

" How can you understand what I'm going through?" Lily demanded.

" Because soon after I lost my own son, I also lost my father and my place as ruler." Iroh said quietly. Lily paused.

" Oh." She said, remembering the episode seven of the second book talking about that through Zuko's memories. " Sorry."

" No harm done. I just understand. My nephew is probably going through the same thing; his own father has been dead as a person for some time now. Maybe, if you talked to him."

" No way. He wouldn't understand." Lily snapped, stacking the bowls in the cupboard.

At that instant, the phone started to ring and Iroh jumped, his monkey grin taking over his face.

" It's okay, it's just the phone." She said reassuringly. He nodded and stuck his hands within his sleeves. Lily snatched the phone off the hook just as Zuko came in, about to say something, presumably about the phone. Iroh shushed him just in time and both paused to stare at her.

" Hello?"

" Lily! Hi!"

" Mom?" Lily gasped. She heard Kathleen on the other end cough and continue;" Yes, hi sweetie. How are you?"

" I'm good. When are you coming home?" she asked half-heartedly.

" Well, there's a little problem with that. You see, it's snowing rather heavily outside and I managed to make it to Auntie Diane's house. I'm babysitting Emma for her while she's sewing those sweaters she sells. Speaking of which—Emma! Get out of that! I'm not giving you another bath tonight!" she yelled. On the other end, Lily could hear her little cousin laughing. Kathleen sighed. " Sorry, Lily. Emma's on a sugar rush tonight. She got into the sugar bowl a little while ago and now she's running on enough extra energy to keep her going for hours. Anyhow, how was Avatar?"

" I didn't see it. I was doing some laundry." Lily half lied with a quick glance at Zuko and Iroh. Kathleen clicked her tongue sympathetically. " I'm sorry hon. Listen, I might be home in a few hours if the storm stops. Make sure you lock the doors before you go to sleep. And if anyone calls, tell them I'm in the shower, alright?"

" Sure mom. I'll be fine. I'll see you." She said.

" Ta-Ta sweetheart. Emma! Stay out of the garbage!"

Lily hung up the phone and sighed. She turned to her guests who were now three, including Katara who had wandered up when she was turned away. " What's happening, Lily?" she asked.

" My mom called. She's caught at my aunt Diane's. She won't be home for several hours so now I can put off all of this gut-wrenching worry until then. I need to rest a bit." She murmured, clutching her head and shuffling out. She made a beeline for her bedroom, shoved her way through the blanket and plopped down on her bed. She buried beneath the covers and breathed in the delicious scent of home through her scratchy pillows. The scent of familiar things always calmed her.

She heard the blanket door flap as someone came in and sat down on the bed, being careful to avoid her feet as she pulled them closer to her. Whoever it was didn't speak.

" I'm fine, General Iroh." She grumbled.

" It's me." Zuko said quietly. Lily froze. " What are you doing here?" she asked.

" I saw that you were pretty upset. I came to see if you're all right."

" Did Iroh put you up to this?"

" No. I was curious as to what you said earlier… about your father. If you want to talk about it, I'm willing to listen." He said. Lily uncovered one eye to look at him through the corner of it. " You'll really listen?" she whispered. He nodded. Lily sighed and sat up, hugging her knees. " It's kind of a long story." She said quietly.

" Well, we have a long time." Zuko replied. Lily resisted the urge to smile. " Okay. My father's name was Lester Adam Jackson. He was a high ranked police officer who over two years ago, put two guys in jail for kidnapping and first-degree murder. The two guys escaped from prison however and set out for revenge on everyone who sent them there in the first place. This list included dad. This was about seven months before it happened. Our state protection program gave us new names and sent us to the next county. We were transferred five times because each time, reports of the two thugs were sent out wherever we ended up. I still remember the names they made me take. Valerie, Tracy, Penny, Eliza and Margaret. I hated them all. Anyway, after several months of nonstop hiding and moving, the program sent us back home, thinking that the place where everyone was looking for them would be the last place they'd expect us to be. Obviously, they were wrong.

Exactly two years ago today, dad went out to get the mail. I was inside watching television. I heard six gunshots and the squeal of rubber on cement. I jumped up and ran outside. My father was lying on the ground, shot in the chest six times as point-blank range. Mom and Katie ran out too. I saw the ugly faces of the guys as they drove off and one of them smirked at me, like he was saying that he'd ruined my life and that he knew what he had done. I wanted to run back to the house and take out my father's service gun and shoot them until the rounds were all gone, until there was nothing left of those jerks but bloody ruin. But I didn't. I stayed by dad until the paramedics arrived and took him to the hospital where he stayed for two days hooked up to machines and respirators that kept him alive. Three of the six shots could be fatal, the doctor told us. We just had to wait.

One night, we were sitting in the room just outside where they were keeping him. Mom and Katie were sound asleep. No one was in sight. I got up and crept into the room where he was. I sat down beside the bed and stared at him. I couldn't believe that this shriveled old-looking man was my happy, easy-going father who had always come to help us if we needed help, dropped anything to see us perform something or other and laughed at any joke we told. This was he and I had to accept it. As he lay there, he opened his eyes and looked straight at me. I took his hand as he started to speak in a raspy, tired voice I had to strain to hear. He said, " Lilly pad, I'm going home, now. I'm going to see gramps and Skippy. Take care of mom and Katie, will you? Take care of whoever needs you the most. I'll always be with you." I promised him I would and he sighed, closed his eyes and murmured, 'That's my girl.' I knew that he was suffering greatly. I was furious at the hospital for making him hurt so much. It was at that moment that I made the hardest choice I ever made in my life."

Lily stopped here. Zuko gazed at her, awestruck at such a horrible story. She let out a shaky breath and continued. " I…I whispered, 'I love you daddy', and then…I reached over to the machines and…and…I lifted a hand to the switch and I…I turned the machines off. The humming stopped, the drip of fluids stopped, the beating of his heart stopped and he fell still, smiling. I sat back on the chair and gripped his limp, lifeless hand. Everything was quiet. I was sure some alarm was going off somewhere in the hospital, alerting the doctors of the sudden breach, but I was off in another world. Then, when the door opened and everyone came in and saw what I had done, I broke down and screamed. I don't remember much else, except that mom actually understood and that the next two years until I find myself sitting here with you were a living hell. Up until the moment when I shut the machines off, I believed in a God, and angels and a heaven. But now, I don't know what to believe."

Lily let out a wracking sob and just lost it. Zuko felt so helpless now. He hadn't heard something so sad before. He never even considered that Lily had been through worse than he had, and the fact that she sent her father away on her own. No one had enough courage to do that.

Knowing exactly what he was doing, Zuko reached out and pulled her closer to him. Lily sniffed and just let herself be held, trying to banish her thoughts from her mind.

" I'm sorry, Lily." He said quietly. " That's…horrible isn't enough to describe it."

" It's all right. I'm fine. It's just sad, is all. I miss him so much."

" But the amount of courage needed to do that. Unfathomable."

" It's what was best for him, Zuko. He was in pain." Lily said in a hushed tone. She closed her eyes and leaned in closer to him, grateful that he was there and that he cared.

A/N: Well, here's chapter three. I see that a few people do in fact like this story. This is the third time I've rewritten it, and for the record, it's the only real chapter story for Avatar I've written. Oh, and I've noticed that there are reviews going around with spoilers to Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows. If I get one more of those, I'm discontinuing all stories until further notice, and I MEAN IT!!! And I am somewhat sorry to say, this includes The First Legacy. So, one more review with spoilers for the book that I as well as many others I'm sure haven't read yet, and this story, all the others and The First Legacy are gone. No buts about it. There are people who really like The First Legacy, so whoever is sending those stupid spoilers around, don't ruin it for everyone. Okay?


	4. Chapter 4: Spirited Away

Chapter 4: _Spirited Away_

A while later, Lily and Zuko both sat on the floor of her room, staring at the few DVD's she had left. She had taken a whole ten minutes explaining to him what a DVD was and what they did. Then she showed him each one. They were all works of Hayao Miyazaki; _Spirited Away_, _Howl's Moving Castle_,_ Porcco Russo_,_ Kiki's Delivery Service_, and _Princess Mononoke_. Zuko studied them, read the backs of each one and finally selected _Spirited Away_. " This one looks good." He said. Lily took it from him and nodded.

" Okay. Go back downstairs for now, I'll be down shortly."

Zuko pushed through the blanket and disappeared. Lily opened the box with the DVD inside and gazed at it lovingly. She'd somehow earned a bonus pay at Burger King and had sent the money in to buy the DVD. It was her favorite one. She got to her feet and left her room. She made her way downstairs with the DVD, pausing only to look out at the newly fallen snow. She descended the stairs and glanced about the room. She smiled happily. Everyone was getting along. Katara had dug up the old family favorite, Clue and had somehow gotten, Aang, Sokka, Suki, Iroh and even Zuko to join in. Zhao seemed to be content with watching and Toph appeared to have fallen asleep upside down against the wall. Momo looked like a dormant bat. Lily stopped to watch the game and see how it turned out. Zuko rolled the dice and moved his little Mr. Green six spaces into the Parlor room. He then studied the cards he held. Katara rolled the dice and moved her Mrs. Peacock into the Library. Aang slid his Colonel Mustard into the Kitchen and then took the secret passageway into the Greenhouse. He cleared his throat. " I would like to take a guess at the murderer." He said deeply, trying to sound more mature. He picked up the envelope and said, " I think it was, Professor Plum, in the Dining Room with the Knife." He gathered each up and set them in their places. Then he opened the envelope and looked at the cards. A great beaming smile lit up his face and he flew three feet into the air, coming to rest again cross-legged. " Oh yeah! I won!" he yelled.

" Darn, and I was sure it was Mrs. White in the Kitchen with the Candlestick." Zhao said. To Lily's surprise, he was sincere.

" Best two out of three?" Suki suggested.

" Hey group!" Lily called. They all turned to face her.

" Hey Lily." Katara said. " What have you got there?"

" I thought maybe you'd all like to watch one of my DVD's. It's called, _Spirited Away_."

" Sure, I'm up for something new." Aang said. Lily grinned and went over to the television and popped the disk in.

" Zuko, could you get the lights? It's over there, that switch on the wall."

The lights snapped off and the room was bathed in darkness. There was a brief shuffling as everyone scrambled for good seats. None of them had ever seen a DVD before, so they all wanted front row for their first times. Lily took a seat by the wall. She was surprised when Zuko sat down right beside her.

_" Chihiro? Chihiro, we're almost there." _

The movie started with Chihiro being moody and upset about leaving her hometown. Lily sighed happily. This was her favorite movie and though the ending wasn't very satisfying, she loved every second of it. No, make that millisecond.

She suddenly found that she was completely drained. But she didn't want to fall asleep for fear that she'd wake up and find this all to be one fantastic dream and that she was back in poverty with her mother and their meager lifestyle. But it was so hard…she felt herself slipping away.

Lily bolted awake. It was dark. The movie was over and she was leaning against something. She sat up and looked to her right where she had been leaning.

" Hey Lily." Whispered Zuko. " You fell asleep before the movie started. I loved it." He said with a smile. Lily chanced a smile herself and yawned. " Sorry." She apologized.

" Don't worry." Zuko said. Lily got to her feet and went to the window. Zuko came over to join her. " Wow." He said.

" Snow. It snowed." Lily breathed. She glanced at Zuko. " Do you want to see something?" she asked. He looked at her. " What?"

She laughed, grabbed his hand and pulled him through the house toward the back door at the top of the stairs. " Come on!" she whispered excitedly. He followed her, somewhat confused and a little anxious to see what she was taking to him to see.

She threw open the back door and extended her arm out. His eyes widened and he stepped outside. " Wow. It's so smooth and shiny." He said. "It's freshly fallen snow. I've never seen it like this before."

Suddenly, Lily dashed up and slammed into him, knocking him into the deep snow. He bolted up and sputtered angrily. " Lily!" he yelled. She was giggling furiously.

" Oh, is that how you want to play?" Zuko exclaimed. He leapt up and rolled a snowball into his hand. He ran over and before she could move away, shoved the snow down the back of her shirt. She squealed, pulled away and rolled her own snowball. As it turned out, his aim was better, but she was faster. Soon, an enormous snowball fight erupted between them and it went on until there was no more snow to throw. They both collapsed and sat there, panting and laughing at the same time.

" I've met my match in snowball fights." She wheezed.

" You aren't bad." He said. His expression changed a bit. " Lily, you must be freezing in that outfit." He said. Lily blinked and looked down at her shirt. She felt herself lucky to be wearing a darker color otherwise she might have been embarrassed to have been so wet like that. She started to shiver. " I g-guess I'm a l-l-little cold." She stammered. She stood up and squeaked loudly because of the dramatic drop in temperature. Zuko went over to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, transferring heat to her body.

" T-Thanks, Z-Z-Zuko." She said shakily.

" Come on, let's get you inside. You're colder than my ship can be in the South Pole." He said, leading her inside.

Back inside, Lily changed into a warmer, long-sleeved outfit and set her shirt out to dry. She brushed the tangles out of her dark hair and set it into a ponytail once more. Then, she opened the door—and tripped over Zuko sitting outside. She landed on top of him and quickly rolled away. " I am so sorry." She said quickly. He sat up, chuckling. " It's fine. I shouldn't have been sitting there." He said. He looked at the outfit she was wearing: a dark navy blue shirt with a red heart on it.

" That's a nice outfit." He said. She blushed. " Thanks. My nana gave it to me."

She got up and helped him up.

" I'll make some hot tea, if you'd like." She offered. He smiled.

" That'd be nice."

Lily made her way to the kitchen, Zuko following closely behind. She took two cups out and placed them in the microwave after filling them with water. While they waited, Zuko told her stories of his childhood.

" I remember falling into a river once. This was the only time father seemed to care about me. He heard my mother screaming from the riverbank and saw me floating by. He ran as fast as he could as far as he could go until he came to the rapids. He burned a branch off a tree and held it out to me. I grabbed it and he hauled me back into shore."

" I still don't believe that he did this to you." Lily murmured. She reached up and gently ran her fingers across the flame-shaped scar. He made no movement to stop her.

The microwave stopped and Lily opened the door. She placed a teabag in her cup, waited a few seconds then lifted it out and placed it in his.

" Sorry, it's going to be thin." She said apologetically. " I don't have much else of a choice."

Zuko sipped it. " Actually, Lily. It tastes fine." He said. Lily felt a blush creeping onto her face, so she lifted the cup to her lips and drank what was more like hot water.

As they were talking, the phone suddenly started to ring. Lily set her cup down and ran and snagged the phone before it rang again and woke everyone up. She put the phone to her ear.

" Hello?" she whispered.

" I know you have them in your house." A voice hissed angrily on the other end. Lily froze.

" Who is this?" she demanded. The voice sound sickeningly familiar.

" Never mind that. I'm trying to help. Listen to me and follow my instructions. I will call back at noon tomorrow and talk to you further. You'd better answer. Bye now."

There was a small click as the line went dead. Lily's hands shook as she replaced the phone in the cradle. Then, she sank to the floor, eyes staring ahead blankly. Zuko hurried over and knelt down beside her, a look of genuine concern crossing his face. " Lily? What happened?" he asked.

Lily just burst into tears and buried her face in his shirt. He just held her and waited for her crying to subside, positive that whatever she had just heard was the cause of this.

A/N: Okay, I got something about someone not being able to get into the story. So here's hoping it works this time.


	5. Planning

A/N: Sorry it took so long to update this. I was working on The First Legacy, which is now complete. Enjoy.

Chapter 5: Planning

Lily and Zuko hurriedly woke everyone up downstairs. She turned on the lights and sat down on the chair, Zuko seated beside her on the armrest. Everyone stared at her groggily. Only Toph refused to meet her gaze for obvious reasons.

" What the heck is wrong?" Zhao grumbled.

" Shut up." Zuko snarled. " Let her explain."

" Thank you, Zuko, but I can handle this." Lily said. She turned to the general. " I have just received a threatening phone call, saying that whoever it is knows I have you here."

A silent murmur went through the little group and Lily held up her hand to shush them. " I think I know who it is, but I can't be too sure. In the meantime, we have to figure out a plan. If they know I have you here, they know where I live. They might be dangerous, so we have to make a plan to get somewhere safe. I'll need you all to work together if we're going to make it out of this alive." Lily said gravely. She looked round at them all. To her surprise, they all wore looks of determination. Zhao stood up. " So we could all be in danger, huh?" he said. Lily nodded. " Yes. I don't know for sure who this could be." She said. Zhao hummed. Iroh stroked his tiny beard thoughtfully and Katara and Aang exchanged worried glances. " What are we going to do?" she asked.

" For starters," Lily said. " We're going to have to change outfits. Listen to me carefully. Iroh and Zhao, you can probably find some stuff my dad used to own. In the garage, through that white door at the top of the stairs is a box with the name 'Lester' on it. You'll find my dad's old clothing in there. Suki, Katara and Toph can look through my clothes, what I have left and see what you can find. Aang, some of my sister's things might fit you, the less girly stuff. Sokka and Zuko, you may have to find some stuff of my mom's. She's pretty slight anyway, so it won't be a problem. Zuko, I have something for you. Everyone, go find something, Zuko, follow me." She said, getting up and heading to her parent's old bathroom.

Once inside, she rummaged around through a drawer until she found what she was looking for. She closed the door and made him sit on the rim of the bathtub.

" What's that?" he asked.

" It's cover-up. We need some stuff from the store. It's late, but they'll still be open. I need you to come with me."

" Why's that?" he asked. She looked away.

" I feel safer that way." She murmured. Zuko's eyes widened, but he said nothing. She turned back to him with a small amount of the stuff in her hand.

" This will be a little cold, so bear with me." She warned. He nodded. He closed his eyes as she gently applied the strange substance to the side of his face, rubbing it across his skin. It did feel cold and he wondered what he'd need it for.

" There." She said finally. " All done. Look in the mirror."

He stood up and moved to stand beside her. When he saw his reflection in the mirror, he just stared in dumbstruck wonder.

" My scar." He whispered, moving his hand up to the place where his scar had been. " It's…gone."

Lily came back into the bathroom. He hadn't noticed she'd left and he turned to look at her. She gazed at him as he blinked and attempted to speak.

" How did you…what did…?" he asked.

" It covered up your scar." She said. " I'll buy more for you when we get to the store. But we have to hurry. I've got everyone changing clothes already and you have to as well. Okay?"

" Yeah."

" Here." She said, hanging him a black folded bundle. " It's an old black jogger's outfit from mom's younger days. I think it should fit you. It will also hide your hair. In case anyone recognizes you."

He took the bundle and watched as she left the room. " Lily!" he called. Her head appeared in the doorway. " Hmm?"

" Uh…thanks." He said. She smiled. " No problem."

He just stared after her as he moved to close the door.

_She does kind of have a cute smile. _

//ooo//

Minutes later, Zuko met Lily at the front of the house where she was talking with Katara.

" Make sure you keep the lights off and let nobody in or out for any reason." She said.

" Right." Katara replied. But when her eyes fell on Zuko, she freaked.

" Hang on!" Lily yelled as Katara started for the bathroom sink. " It's only Zuko. I put cover-up over his scar to hide it."

Katara seemed to calm down. " Oh. Okay." She said.

" Zuko, you ready?" Lily asked. He nodded. Lily turned to Katara. " Now remember what I said." She said to her. " Come on, Zuko."

She turned to the door and opened it carefully. She saw nothing. " Lets' go." She whispered. Zuko followed her out the door as she ran for Old Charlie. She got in and unlocked the passenger's door. " Get inside!" she hissed. Zuko hesitated, but did as he was told. Lily locked the doors, turned on the car and quickly backed out of the driveway.

She noticed Zuko was very tense and frowned. " Settle down. I know how to drive, okay?" she said. He glared at her, but faced forward. Lily sighed and switched gears.

" Lets' go." She said. They sped off down the road.


	6. Apology by Author

A/N: Dear readers of this story. I am regretful to say that I have unwillingly let this story die and have lost all motivation to try to salvage it. I do sorely apologize to all of you who had read this story and liked it. But I'm afraid I can't continue it. I no longer have any connection to my characters and if I try to write it, you'd not only not recognize whose writing it was, but also the fact that it was at one time a real story. Once again, I apologize for any disappointment and hope that you can forgive me for discontinuing this story. Thank you. --;

Luna


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